In Urbino, a town in Italy's Marche region, the Albornoz Fortress crowns the city's highest point, complementing the splendor of the nearby Ducal Palace. Named for Spanish Cardinal Gil Álvarez de Albornoz, its construction dates to between 1353 and 1367, during the reorganization of Church-held territories. The cardinal's campaign to restore papal authority across central Italy produced a network of such strongholds, of which this is one of the surviving examples. Remodelled in later centuries and now set within a public park, the fortress offers a commanding view over the roofs and twin turrets of a historic centre inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
